Thursdays Are For Thinking Out Loud

I’m sharing more stories about Gizmo (for those that don’t know, we helped him cross the Rainbow Bridge last week — read more about him here).

As I was sorting through photos and trying to choose them for the post above, there were so many that told stories.

Giz enjoying some spring weather too from the safety of his kennel . . .

Gizmo enjoying some time outside safelyThis photo above doesn’t really tell a story, but it was in my last TOLT post. OTOH, it’s Gizmo in his outdoor kennel. Back when the boys were tiny little kittens, we decided we would build them a kennel outside that they could access via a cat flap in the house. It started out somewhat small, and it grew . . . and it grew . . . and it grew . . . and furntirure moved in . . . and it moved with us from TX to NY.

The kennel in TX

The boys just loved this kennel. So did my elderly cat, Puss. Simba was in it on his last day on earth — Gizmo hadn’t gone into it in the last several weeks, though. In the photo at the top I am sitting on the bench next to Giz.

Fresh air. Sunshine. Little critters. What more could a cat want?

My first two cats were strictly indoors. I wanted the boys to be able to enjoy fresh air . . . safely. There was a price, though — the critters they caught & brought in! They were mighty hunters.

Which leads me to one our most told stories about the boys: the time when I came home to find them staring intently at my treadmill. The space between it and the wall. I took a look, and I thought I saw one of their little furry balls. And then it moved.

Too big to be a mouse, I thought ewww! It’s a rat. Eventually they lost interest and wandered away. A few hours later, though, when Mr. Judy got home, they were back at it. And then we heard squeaking.

We managed to get the 3 cats (Puss was still alive) into separate rooms, and then we lifted the treadmill. And it went from ewww, a rat, to awww! a baby bunny!

We eventually managed to get it, and Mr. Judy was concerned that it couldn’t fend for itself — so he put it out in my garden! The next morning there was no bunny, so I’ve always assumed somehow it’s mama found it. I just believe that it survived — poor thing had quite the adventure to tell!

Cats’ agility is amazing thing to watch

How’d he do that?
I never tired of marveling at the acrobatic capabilities of the boys. I mean, I knew he jumped onto that little corner shelf, then jumped from there into the window — but how? They used to jump from the floor onto the top of our 6 foot entertainment center, too. Gizmo used to give me heart attacks jumping from our top floor here straight down to the bottom floor!

Gizmo supervising my painting

Eventually Mr. Judy built this shelf for that back window and a ramp up to it. We don’t have windows like that here in NY, but we do have a big bay window in our living room and the boys spent many hours snoozing in beds there.

I remember the one time a tornado actually got quite close to us in TX . . . I was able to easily get Gizmo in the bathroom, but Simba was just sitting on that shelf staring out at the storm; eventually I got him, too, and we rode it out in our bathroom. It wasn’t a big one, but it did get somewhat close.

Puss was still alive and I wasn’t able to find her. After we got out, I found her behind the dresser in our bedroom — against an inside wall. I had no idea she could squeeze back there, but she was a smart cat — that was a good place to ride out the storm!

Literally bouncing off walls

Speaking of acrobatics . . .
We used to throw balls up against the quilt for the boys to catch.

Training is fun

Who says you can’t train cats?
Before we ever had dogs, we trained the boys to sit up, lay down, high five, jump over a hurdle and jump through hoops. They loved it. They got so excited when the clicker came out — the dogs did, too — except Bandit. He’s afraid of the clicker. Not the vacuum cleaner, but the clicker. Weird dog.

Jumping hurdles. Lola used to love this, too (we did agility with her when she was younger, just for fun)C’mon Simba, it’s fun in here!

Double Trouble
I remember the time that one of them got into the wastebasket . . . I fished him out, only to turn around and see the other one get in. This went on for quite some time. I’m sure they were laughing at us. I’d had two cats before, but this was the first time I’d had littermates — they were so much fun.

We want to choose our own toys!

And so much trouble! Into everything! We actually had to put child locks on the drawers in our kitchen in TX because they figured out how to open them. In better days, every time I opened that pantry door (where the treats were), Gizmo would come running.

Looking for trouble

This photo reminds me of the time the boys got out. Our windows were low to the floor in TX. They had solar screens on the outside, and we had some bars we’d prop up in the open window so we could get some air and keep the boys safe . . . or so we thought.

One day, when I was sick, I heard that yowling you only hear from cats when they see another cat. I got up to investigate, and they’d gotten the bars down, popped open the screen, and both of them were outside — as was some stray cat.

Gizmo always listened. I told him to get back inside and he just hopped right back in. Simba, OTOH, took off after the cat, who made a beeline for our neighbor’s yard. The one with the Chow Chow behind the fence, with Simba in hot pursuit.

Thankfully Simba had the good sense not to jump the fence, but he sure didn’t want to come back inside, either. I had to go in, get a crate, and eventually I was able to lure him into it and get him back inside. That training really comes in handy at the darndest times!

I’m Thinking Out Loud, randomly, in no particular order: things ending, another movie, sleeping patterns, and running with dogs. Because that’s my life! Well, running with a dog, anyway.

Expect troubles as an inevitable part of life, and repeat to yourself, the most comforting words of all; this, too, shall pass.
— Anne Landers

Have I got a house for you . . .

This too shall passOne of my mom’s favorite sayings. Of course, while something hard is happening, it seems like it will never pass. Every time this past year I thought my life was getting back to normal, something else happened.

Everything has a beginning and an end, and I am happy to report that my parents’ home, my childhood home, is now listed. Just in case you’d like to move into a relatively large home right behind Vassar College, you can look at it here. Feel free to pass along the link to anyone that might be interested. It cleaned up pretty well.

I still remember our very first meal in that house — pizza, I think, sitting on the kitchen floor of the empty house my parents had just bought, partially so that my sister and I no longer had to share a bedroom — I was 9, she was 16.

Go see Boston: The DocumentaryIf you have the chance to rent it, or it’s re-released again at some point, it’s well worth it. I never go to evening movies. Heck, I can fall asleep watching tv at night at home. Despite it being way past my bedtime, I didn’t nod off at all.

I also don’t remember ever hearing Matt Damon (who is supposed to narrate it) at all.

But did I sleep in the next day?Nope. And that’s my problem — I don’t usually sleep any later even if I go to bed later. I do occasionally sleep later when we’re on vacation (no animals to take care of, no pressing matters on my mind) — but even that is rare.

People (and by people I mainly mean my family, who all seem to be night owls) give me a hard time about going to bed early all the time. Mr. Judy and I can go to sleep at the same time (like Tuesday night), but I’ll be out of bed at least an hour before he is.

My FIL used to go to bed even earlier. No one gave him a hard time. I think there’s a double standard there.

Come run Utah with meWe’re a month away from the Utah Valley Marathon (or half, or 10k) and code crj15still gets you 15% off of your registration.

I’m running the half, and quite a few other bloggers will be racing, too.

Disclaimer: I make a small amount of money if you register using my code.

They look a bit worried

Bandit updateI find the dogs together more and more these days. Not all the time, but definitely more frequently.

Time sharing the bedJust chilling

We also took our first run with the Tuff Mutt Hands Free Leash (Amazon affiliate link) yesterday. It’s still easier to run solo, I have to admit, but I do think this will be a game changer. Holding the leash while running with Bandit might be the culprit in some hip pain — we’ll see.

In fact, I often wondered how people who have lost a limb run without pain — or do they just accept it will always be painful? I’m guessing they do. And it’s pretty amazing to me that they still do just do it.

Getting comfortable being uncomfortableThat was something mentioned in one of the AMR podcasts I listened to on my last trip. I still have problems with that, I admit (in fact, I might just runfess it tomorrow).

Sometimes I can push myself outside of my comfort zone, and sometimes I just can’t. Sometimes it ends well, and sometimes it doesn’t.

I see, though, how easy it is to get stuck in life. So I’ll keep trying. Sometimes I won’t be able to unstick myself, I know, but I hope that I never stop trying.

Just how do you dry out the bladder?From a hydration vest, that is. No matter what I do, it seems, there is always some water stuck in the bottom. I’m worried that TSA will take it away from me!

I considered abandoning run/walkFor the trail race, that is. Because if the hills are really steep, I will add in extra walking. On my next to last long run I found myself pondering it. Just run until I can’t? Walk the hills and then just run?

Then I realized I’d done all my training using my run/walk intervals. And as I wrote about on Sunday here, that’s what training is: practicing what you’ll do in your race.

So I guess I will stick to my run/walk intervals. And if the hills are really steep (or the trails more technical than advertised), I’ll just walk where need be.

I experimented on my last long run — skipping walking intervals when the trail was fairly flat. It seemed to slow me down, actually. I’ll let you know what happens during the race. It’s still going to be a play it by ear sort of race.

Which hydration vest?I’m pretty sure I’ve actually made my decision, and I think I’ll be taking the Camelbak with me (thank you, Mr. Judy), providing I can actually dry the thing out in the next couple of days..

My cheap one actually feels a lot lighter, despite holding the same amount of water, and I like that it has an on & off lever. But the Camelbak doesn’t bounce around as much, due to the chest strap, I believe, and that makes it less annoying. Plus the cheaper one seems to chafe my neck a little — the farthest I ran with it was 10 miles. Hoping for no neck chafing!

Do I dare get them muddy?

Which pretty clothes should I wear?There is the usual debate on just what the heck to wear. Will it rain, or won’t it? I’m assuming it’s fairly shady, and therefore cooler than actual forecast temps — but I don’t know.

What I do know is that’s there is a very good chance that whatever I wear will end up getting muddy. The race is called Mud & Chocolate, after all.

While it’s possible I’ll wear a skirt, I’m leaning towards capris. So there are my black capris from Athleta or my capris from Skirtsports above. I’ve tested both out on long runs. Both of them have two front pockets and a zippered pocket in the back. I’m leaning towards the Athleta capris, just because they’re not my pretty Skirtsports capris (although I do like both).

And if you want to try out Pocketopia — which I highly recommend (or almost any Skirtsports products) for 20% use code SPRINGCPT20.

Come run Utah with meDon’t forget that code crj15 gets you 15% off of your registration for the Utah Valley Marathon (your choice of three race distances). The price goes up on March 2, so register today!

I’m running the half, and quite a few other bloggers will be racing, too.

Disclaimer: I make a small amount of money if you register using my code.

Giz enjoying some spring weather too . . .

Bandit updateI do believe he’s back to normal as far as the crate and mornings go.

. . . and Bandit

Did I tell you about the pug? I don’t think so. So one of my neighbors is pet sitting an elderly pug; she’s about Lola’s age. The first time everyone met nothing too surprising happened, but Bandit seemed very interested in her and there was a lot of tail wagging, but no unusual behavior.

The next time we saw her, he went ballistic — but not in an I-want-to-eat-you way but more a I-love-you-and-need-to-play-with-you way.

What’s wrong with Lola as a playmate?

He rarely plays with Lola more than a couple of seconds, despite her best efforts. Which is really sad, considering how much she loves to play, and she has been stuck with dogs twice who just aren’t that into her.

I’ve Thinking Out Loud— well, not out loud, but I’ve been thinking for a long time, about my car. And whether or not it would pass inspection. Spoiler alert: it didn’t. But that’s not the end of the story.

Remember my wonky check engine light?My car didn’t pass inspection. The first time. But not because of the light. Mr. Judy turned it off with our code detector.

No, we forgot about the fact that NY state has started to enforce the law against tinted windows — we’d tinted our windows when we lived in TX. So it failed because of that and because the tech managed to break one of the lug nuts.

Mr. Judy went kind of ballistic on them, as they were the last people to put the tires on the car. So they agreed to fix it no charge. Except we still had to take the tint off of 4 windows.

We got it done, although it was time consuming and tiring, and I am happy to say the car is legal for another year. I suppose this is a sign that I really should consider a new car. You kind of hate to get rid of a 17 year old car that runs well though!

Collecting trail running tipsI enjoy learning and I’m a former Girl Scout who believes in being prepared. So yes, I’ve been surfing around for trail running tips.

I’d love to hear yours, though.

I can’t yet tell if my body feels better by doing 50% of my runs on trails. I think it does, but sometimes when I get up I still feel like a 100 year old woman — it takes a while to loosen up, it seems.

Dry heat + hills turned out okay

I thought it was the heat . . .That I sucked at heat. But the truth is I still haven’t figured it out. Maybe it’s hills + heat, or hills + heat + humidity. Obviously I did well in NOLA (read about it here), despite the heat & humidity; it was a flat course. I did well in Phoenix, too (read about thathere) — insanely hilly, but a dry heat.

Flat + humid was okay too

Both of those races I also got in a few runs in those conditions prior to the race.

But races with a sudden heatwave? Races that were hot & humid & hilly? My next to last, hot long run this training cycle? Those all sucked.

The good lord made us all out of iron. Then he turns up the heat to forge some of us into steel.
— Marie Osmond

I guess I need more data points, as Mr. Judy likes to say.

Is Half Fanatics worth it?It occurred to me, one day, that if I finish my scheduled halfs, I will, indeed, have completed three half marathons in three months.

I don’t really see what you get for your $45? And I don’t envision myself ever mooning up, either.

So tell me, half fanatics, wise investment or not?

A shoutout to SpornNo, that isn’t a misspelling. It’s just the most awesome double dog leash (you can buy at this Amazon Affiliate link here) ever.

Easy to untwist

You can walk two different sized dogs, even a small one and a large one (although of course I’ve never tested that). It resists tangling, and when it does, it’s easy to detangle.

We always walked Chester and Lola on one. I always thought using two leashes was just nuts, and that was pretty much confirmed for me when we got Bandit and I had to, although Mr. Judy didn’t seem to mind it. I didn’t think we’d ever walk the dogs on a double leash.

I didn’t think this would happen — makes life easier!

Only now we do. So much easier.

You can adjust the space between the dogs — we used to have Lola and Chester fairly close together, but I just think Bandit and Lola need a bit more space between them. Sometimes I do have to grab Bandit’s leash so that he doesn’t take off while Lola is still sniffing.

But the company is even more of a class act than I realized. I noticed, after we got out of our fenced in yard but thankfully before we’d gone very far, that the leash on Lola had come off. Turned out the claw hook had broken. Being a little dog, I just picked her up and we took the dogs back into the yard and got two leashes.

We had a spare, only I couldn’t locate it. Mr. Judy contacted the company because there’s a limited lifetime warranty. We’d been using this leash for at the very least a decade, probably longer. And they sent us a brand spanking new one. Now that’s a class act!

It’s easy to walk two different sized dogs

I’m not sure the story would as happy an ending if it had been Bandit who busted free. No doubt it was Bandit that broke it in the first place, he can get pretty excited when he sees other dogs.

Come run Utah with meDon’t forget that code crj15 gets you 15% off of your registration for the Utah Valley Marathon (your choice of three race distances). The price goes up on March 2, so register today!

I’m running the half, and quite a few other bloggers will be racing, too.

Disclaimer: I make a small amount of money if you register using my code.

Treat? Did someone say treat?

Bandit updateWhile he’s still a little leery of the crate in the mornings, I haven’t had a day when I couldn’t get him into it. Usually I just let him go in on his own as I’m finishing adding his supplements after his training.

Oddly enough, getting him in when I go out hasn’t been a problem.

He has changed so much and we haven’t even had him a year yet. Just getting him to eat at first was a struggle. Finding treats he would deign to eat was also a struggle. Now he has real laser-like focus when the treats come out . . . unless there’s something else more exciting around (another dog, a human).

Since it’s “warmer” (it happens to be a particularly raw, cold day as I type this), I’ve begun to work on doing some training out in the backyard, too. Ignoring distractions is hard for dogs — even harder for an older dog who didn’t have any training.

I’m Thinking Out Loudabout how everyone fears the unknown, a few thoughts on what a runner’s body looks like, the mysterious workings of the canine mind, and matzo brei.

Bring on the matzo brei!

You must do the things you think you cannot do.
— Eleanor Roosevelt

Are you clinging to preconceived notions?I let the cat out of the bag, so to speak, about running a trail half marathon. In just a couple of weeks. Gulp!

I’d be lying if I said it didn’t scare me at all. It does. What surprised me the most? The number of runners who said they could never do that because they were afraid of falling.

Sure, it’s a legitimate fear. But can’t you fall on the road? It hasn’t happened to me often, but it happens, and let me tell you, the road is a far more unforgiving surface than a trail.

I could injure myself in this race, yes. I could hate every minute of it. But what if I don’t? What if I listened to all the people over the years that have assured me that running will ruin my knees?

The assumptions people makeSo an older woman who doesn’t have what looks like a runner’s body walks into a running shoe store . . . yup, that was me this week. And the salesperson just assumed that I wasn’t a runner or was a new runner.

What does a runner’s body look like? I think when we think running, we think Meb. We think Deena. The naturally thin runners with few curves, often on the shorter side.

All it takes is one visit to a race to know that runners come in all sizes and shapes. And why is it that every time they measure my foot they tell me I wear a size 8? That’s correct in regular shoes, but in running shoes, I wear a size 9 — depending on the shoe, of course — and I so far (knock on wood) have all my toenails to prove that that’s the right size for me.

This will fuel this weekend’s long run

Looking forward to my matzo breiIn case you missed it, it’s Passover. The biggest complaint I hear about Passover is that matzo makes you constipated. There are matzo recipes for just about anything: granola, lasagna, grilled cheese(that could make a good post-long run meal, maybe).

So how do I avoid being stopped up during Passover? Just as I don’t eat a whole lot of bread normally, I don’t eat a whole lot of matzo, either. When you just concentrate on mostly whole, unprocessed foods (and don’t worry too much about the many dietary restrictions observant Jews do), it’s really not that bad.

I do miss my popcorn, although even that is something I only eat occasionally.

My favorite thing about Passover is Matzo Brei. Matzo brei is essentially french toast made with crumbled matzo; I like mine with just salt, no maple syrup or jam — jam is the traditional way. Which is kind of odd, when you come to think of it, since I prefer sweet to savory breakfasts.

I could eat that every dang morning. Maybe then I’d know what everyone is talking about. Unfortunately I like me a big plate of matzo brei. If I ate that every morning, I’d be packing on the pounds.

Matzo brei is how I fuel my long runs during Passover and I can’t wait til Sunday!

Don’t you hate when that happens?There I am, finally with a little time to meal prep. I’m making myself a nice salad that requites a fair amount of chopping. And I’m chopping up some red onions. And realizing I haven’t put my contacts in yet. This is gonna be painful (enough time passed so that it wasn’t, thankfully).

Oh no you didn’t! Why do I bother making the bed at all?

Or how about as I’m finishing up my salad, I look outside, see that it’s drying up from our rain this morning, and realizing Lola hasn’t been out in hours (she hates the rain).

So I go get her, and Bandit, let them out . . . and of course it has started to rain again.

I remember when that maple was a sapling

Looking forward to getting my life back . . . maybeI am still not sure whether or not I will need to work on my parents’ house this weekend, and we still actually have a piece of furniture we want to take back from it at some point, but soon, anyway, I will not have to be spending a part of every weekend down there.

It seems for a couple of years, every time I thought my life would get back to normal, something else happened to disrupt it. Like Bandit refusing to get in his crate; in the scheme of things, that is small potatoes but right now it’s just adding on to the extra work in my life.

I have a feeling that it’s going to be a while before I actually enjoy a long stretch of normalness.

Come run Utah with meDon’t forget that code crj15 gets you 15% off of your registration for the Utah Valley Marathon (your choice of three race distances). The price goes up on March 2, so register today!

I’m running the half, and quite a few other bloggers will be racing, too.

Disclaimer: I make a small amount of money if you register using my code.

Seriously, Dude,Whassup?

Bandit updateI do not know what’s going on, only that it has me at the end of my rapidly fraying rope, because it’s been a frustrating couple of weeks. Bandit is now refusing to go into his crate in the mornings to eat his breakfast.

I have always fed the dogs in their crates (and that includes Chester). It serves a couple of purposes:

It makes their crate more desirable (or so I thought).

It prevents any fights over food (or a food-seeking cat).

I do not know what started this behavior. He still goes in (at least as of Tuesday) happily when I go out and for dinner. He’s been known to hang out in there while we eat dinner occasionally.

I’ve manged to get him in there with a little luring until yesterday, when he flat out refused. And I lost it, which of course only makes matters worse.

Did something happen to him in his crate while we were away? The pet sitter didn’t mention a problem. Was it the morning that some device (turned out to be the carbon monoxide detector) decided to start chirping just as he was eating breakfast?

All I can say is that it’s beyond frustrating and I am not sure how to get him comfortable in there again, but he needs to be comfortable in there. By the afternoon, yesterday, he was completely back to normal, and going into his crate of his own volition to search for any missing treats.

I took the opportunity to have both dogs come in and out of their crates for treats a few times, and he was happy to do so. He was waiting in his crate for his dinner. It’s only breakfast. It’s beyond bizarre!

I’m Thinking Out Loudabout NOLA again, only this time, it’s about the attractions: what we did, not what we ate. Well, sort of; food might be involved in what we did, too. Despite wracking up lots of steps, even before my half, we didn’t do a lot — because of that half marathon. And because this wasn’t our first time to NOLA, either.

There is more to New Orleans than eating & drinking!

Libby kept us informed, entertained & well fed

Food TourLast week I talked about the great time we had with Tastebud Tours and our guide Libby, who is a 10th or so generation NOLA native and has her own tour company, Lucky Bean Tours. So I don’t need to rehash that (but you can read about it here).

If you’re in a new place and you like to eat, I highly recommend a food tour. We’ve done them in Saratoga, NY (close to home); Seattle; NYC; and now NOLA.

You won’t get a sit down meal on a food tour (usually), although you might sit down at several stops — and most of the food might just be a smaller taste — but you won’t walk away hungry, I promise you.

Stacy educated us about houses

Garden District Walking TourI had wanted to tour the Garden District, since we hadn’t gotten out there the last time we were in NOLA. We had hoped to hook up with Libby again, but she ended up canceling her tour, so we went with Legendary Walking Tours and our guide Stacy.

Close up of the corn husk fence at this house in the Garden District

If you love old buildings, you will probably really enjoy this tour, although you will only see the outside, no insides. Most likely your guide will point out the homes of some of NOLA’s more famous residents, as Stacy did.

Entrance to Lafayette Cemetery

And then you will end at Lafayette Cemetery — since we hadn’t visited any cemeteries, this was on my to-do list. This bit was interesting; I’d always assumed the vaults were because NOLA is below sea level. Our guide disabused us of this myth.

We learned the real purpose of the vaults

Turns out, the real purpose of the vaults — at least according to our guide — is basically a way to incinerate the occupants. The vaults basically become crematoriums after the occupants inside go through a NOLA summer.

After the tour we spent some time wandering the shops along Magazine Street.

We took the trolley to get out to the Garden District; this is the only day we rode the trolley, and quite frankly, they need a better system. Our hotel was right by a trolley stop, but often the trolleys were full.

Getting back from the Garden District? That was even worse. We had to wait for quite some time, as most of the trolleys were full (a continuing theme all along the ride); it got to the point that I was seriously considering just walking back. Granted, it was a Friday and it was about the time people got off work. There were no Ubers to be had, either.

If you do ride the trolleys, unless you buy a pass — we didn’t need one for just that one trip — you need exact change, which as of 3/17 was $1.25/ride.

Near the Riverwalk

Running on the RiverwalkThe first time I visited NOLA, I wasn’t a runner. Since becoming a runner, I have thought many times about how fun it would be to run along the Riverwalk and the Mississippi River.

Always soothing to be near water

Unfortunately, my reality didn’t match up with my dreams — my advice to you, if you want to do it, is go in the morning. We were there one morning and there were mostly runners, not too many tourists.

I chose to run in the evening . . . it was hot, the Riverwalk is not actually long, and it was very crowded. One of the runners I chatted with after the race told me you can run along the levee there for a long way . . . I didn’t see a way to do that at the time.

Fleur de lis Fountains in the park

Louis Armstrong ParkThe race started and ended at this park, so naturally I went there the day after my Riverwalk run for an easy run. The park is very pretty, but also very tiny. I ended up looping (again), and running around a lot of parking lots. When I got back to the hotel, Mr. Judy pointed out the path close to the park that goes on a long way.

I wonder how safe that path is, but it would have been nice to know about it before my run. Some runners did confirm that it is, indeed, a nice place to run.

If you check out this park, be warned that it is also where a lot of homeless people sleep. I never felt unsafe, though, as there were a few other runners there and other people around, too.

The Warehouse/Arts DistrictWhile I did a little shopping, and bought my bakery treats, we also stumbled across a glassworkng shop: New Orleans Glassworks & Printmaking Studio. We had a long chat with one of the workers, who had actually worked at Burlington IBM, as did Mr. Judy — although they weren’t there at the same time.

This looks like it could be a fun diversion, something outside the norm, but they weren’t doing classes while we were there. There is a shop with many beautiful items. I have done printmaking, as my degree is in Printing Management, and had also done a glassblowing class in camp one summer.

What we didn’t doBecause we went to the World War II Museum the first time we visited NOLA, we didn’t go back this trip; I do recommend it. I thought the Audobon Butterfly Garden & Insectarium sounded fun, but we never got there, either. MB @ Tutusandtennies went to a cooking class at Crescent City Cooks; that sounded like a lot of fun, only it was the day after the half and we had to switch hotels and I didn’t want to be rushed (the afternoon class that day was full).

Come run Utah with meDon’t forget that code crj15 gets you 15% off of your registration for the Utah Valley Marathon (your choice of three race distances). The price goes up on March 2, so register today!

I’m running the half, and quite a few other bloggers will be racing, too.

Disclaimer: I make a small amount of money if you register using my code.

When a detector starts chirping . . . velcro dogs

Bandit updateWe brought the dogs with us to my parents last weekend. It’s the longest trip they’ve ever shared together in the car; Lola starts getting anxious after about 45 minutes, and Bandit just laid there sleeping as she paced. Lola, BTW, loves the moon roof; it definitely calms her down, and we were able to have it open on the way home.

My parents don’t have a fenced in backyard, and that meant every couple of hours we had to get the dogs from upstairs, take them down the flight of stairs to get out, too, and then walk them.

When we weren’t doing that, we were working on the house, and they were in an upstairs bedroom together. No problems. We also slept in that bedroom, although Bandit was crated as usual; again, no problems.

Even though Lola is not a good traveler in the car, she doesn’t get car sick, and she has been all over New England with us. I could now see traveling with Bandit, too.

I’m Thinking Out Loudsomething very simple today: thank God for spandex! Have you ever eaten your way through New Orleans? If you follow me on Instagram (here), you know I sure did last week. I was a little afraid I wouldn’t fit into the only pair of jeans I brought, but spandex is our friend sometimes.

Since I just got back and you never know when you might end up in NOLA, I’m sharing the good eats we found. This will be photo intensive and drool worthy. You’ve been warned!

Food TourFood tours never disappoint us. It’s a good way to get your bearings, learn a little bit that you didn’t know, and eat good food. We had a fabulous time with Tastebud Tours and our guide Libby, who is a 10th or so generation NOLA native and has her own tour company, Lucky Bean Tours.

Brisket Po’Boy

We started with the brisket po’boy at Tujagues, which came with a side of history about how po’boys came to be. It did not disappoint and that horseradish sauce can sure clear your sinuses!

Gumbo

Next we stopped at The Old Coffeepot. It’s a lovely restaurant and the food was good, but we waited . . . and we waited . . . and we waited. We had gumbo, jambalaya, and calas cakes.

Calas Cake

I’m glad we got to try the Calas cakes, since I’d never even heard of them. I want to recreate these at home, although interestingly, the recipes I’ve looked up show them as fritters, not the cooked rice cakes we ate, which I really enjoyed.

Muffulettas — a NOLA must!

I think the Muffulettas were actually the highlight of the tour, although all the food was really good. We ate them out on the riverwalk, which was a nice touch.

Tea Sampler

While our guide picked up our sandwiches, we got to explore The Spice and Tea Exchange — turns out this is a chain, which I didn’t know at the time. I bought some teas, naturally.

Our final stop was at Lara’s Candies for Pralines tastings; the store offered a 10% discount, and we always like to bring something back for our pet sitters, so we took advantage of the discount. I must have eaten my weight in Pralines while in NOLA — it seemed every store had their version out for tastings. Of course my favorites were the chocolate ones.

And that was just one day!

All.the.carbsWell, I was there to run a half marathon, after all. I’m not sure that really justified everything I indulged in, but New Orleans sure does have some good food, baby. I think I heard “baby” a lot more than y’all.

Cafe du Monde Beignets

One day we were both up early so I dragged Mr. Judy over to Cafe du Monde. We had been to NOLA once, pre-Katrina, but it was so that I could attend a conference (as a blogger, but not a running blogger, obviously) — so while we’d eaten at the Cafe Du Monde in the Riverwalk Mall, we’d never eaten at the original location.

I think we got there around 8 am and while they were somewhat busy, we were able to walk in, sit down, and be waited on, rather than having to stand in a crazy stupid line. There was a pleasant breeze coming in off the river and we enjoyed every bite (it’s cash only, by the way, although it’s also quite reasonable).

Go with the flavored Buttermilk Drops

Mr. Judy had a groupon for Winks Bakery. They didn’t open until 9, and actually, they were having some employee problems, so it was a little later. And it was totally worth it.

Winks is famous for their buttermilk drops. What’s a buttermilk drop, you ask? A big donut hole. That’s what’s in the box. I wasn’t blown away by the original, but the flavored ones? Yeah, baby. That morning the cream puff was calling my name. It was divine, too.

Carb loading at Big Pie Pizza

Of course I had to carb load for my half, too. I took Tricia’s recommendation and we went to Big Pie Pizza. Even though I’m not really a fan of New York style pizza (despite having been born and lived most of my life in NY), it did not disappoint. We just got a simple cheese pizza and garlic cheese sticks (which have now guided me to 2 PRs — wish that could work every time!).

Trust me: get the sweet potato fritters

And then there was a lucky find up in the Garden District: The Rum House. We were just walking around in search of a mug for me, when we walked by this restaurant with what looked like amazing food. We walked on by . . . and then came back, and thank God we did, because the food was amazing.

We shared the Sweet Potato Crab fritters and the Jamaican Beef Patties, which were like empanadas. And then I had an amazing sweet potato beet goat cheese salad while Mr. Judy enjoyed one of their tacos.

If you get out to the Garden District, I highly recommend this restaurant!

Apparently Bittersweet Confections was on Cupcake Wars?

Our last day in NOLA we walked around the Warehouse district a bit and I made a beeline for Bittersweet Confections. Some woman in front of me nabbed the last Chocolate Peanut Butter cupcake. The nerve of her!

I got a cookies & cream cupcake and a chocolate chocolate chip scone. Both were yummy.

The Ruby Slipper’s take on Migas

There’s more to life than carbsAnother restaurant a couple of people recommended was The Ruby Slipper. So we went for brunch one day. It was a few days before my half, still, and I decided to be slightly virtuous and got Migas. They were good, but not quite like the Migas I was used to in TX. The portion was very generous, though, and I actually ate them for lunch the next day (yes, the day before my half!).

There were so many things to choose from, so many things I wanted to try. It wasn’t an easy decision. I’m not sure Mr. Judy really wants to go back to NOLA, but some day I’d like to!

Boudin Balls at Sobou

I had wanted to try to eat lunch at Commander’s Palace, but it just didn’t work out. However, walking home one day, I noticed a restaurant named Sobou (a Commander’s Palace restaurant). I looked them up when we got to the hotel, and it got very good reviews. And for good reason.

Tuna Tacos. Delish!

I got the Boudin Balls and the Cracklin’ Crusted Yellowfin Tuna Tacos. So good. And then the Chocolate Coma Bar. I mean, seriously — how could I skip that? It was probably the best dessert we had in NOLA, which is saying quite a bit!

Come run Utah with meDon’t forget that code crj15 gets you 15% off of your registration for the Utah Valley Marathon (your choice of three race distances). The price goes up on March 2, so register today!

I’m running the half, and quite a few other bloggers will be racing, too.

Disclaimer: I make a small amount of money if you register using my code.

Bandit updateWell, obviously we didn’t see the furkids last week. Although Bandit’s pet sitter sent us this photo of Bandit — I cropped out the dog he was playing with. Apparently he got along great with a couple of the dogs there. We were joking that we have a gay dog (because he doesn’t play with Lola, who is dying to play with him).

Lola, OTOH, apparently helped herself to some hot dog rolls that were on a counter where she was staying. Thankfully she didn’t actually eat them — or have time enough to eat them, I guess — but she did nest with them.

I think next week I’ll be rounding up some of the stuff we did while in New Orleans.